Category: A Game of Words

I Need a Hero

When Nintendo first announced their partnership with mobile developer DeNA, Fire Emblem was one of the series that immediately jumped to mind as a fit for iOS and Android devices. Cue Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo’s third foray into the mobile market and a bite-sized version of the hardcore strategy-RPG series. Wrapped in a shell of free-to-play (F2P), Gacha-style mechanics based on the franchise’s likeable cast of warriors, Nintendo has succeeded in creating an entertaining game that is true to the spirit of Fire Emblem while being accessible for franchise rookies.

The gaming industry is simultaneously enabled and limited by what is under the hood of our favorite game machines. Consoles are essentially mass-produced computers designed with gaming in mind and they set a benchmark by which developers can exert their programming panache. However, just as new hardware allows the proverbial stretching of legs, aging hardware transforms that freedom into confines by which ever-growing ambition is stymied. This ongoing dilemma in gaming has perplexed console-makers since home consoles became a standard in 1985, but the recent strategy employed to combat rapidly advancing technology has been iterative hardware.

Nintendo’s Switch presentation on Thursday was truly baffling. The missteps of the event have dominated the conversation that followed, but there was a lot to be excited about if you are interested in the Switch. Nintendo gave a glimpse into its first-party lineup, detailed the interesting features of the console and blew us away with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. However, despite my status as an enduring Nintendo fan who is sold on the Switch, I was left with an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach.

From its opening moments, Final Fantasy XV is a game that is completely built upon the bond of its four protagonists. The game drops players into a relationship that has been seasoned and seared over many years and experiences. While supplemental material, namely the Brotherhood anime, fleshes out the individual characters and their relationships with player character Prince Noctis, the game is designed in a way that even those with no prior knowledge can sense their deep connections through mechanics and acting. The result is the most real friendship that I have ever seen in gaming.

Pocket Monsters and where to find them

Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Sun and Moon are a celebration of what has made the series one of the most beloved in all of gaming. In a year that has seen Pokémon Go catapult the franchise to a new level of public consciousness, the newest entries provide a perfect entry point for new or relapsed fans and a much needed refresh for hardcore trainers. With a fantastic region, a stellar lineup of new monsters and the series’ best story to date, Game Freak has created the best Pokémon adventure since Gold and Silver.Continue reading “Pokémon Sun and Moon Review”

For years the narrative has been the same. “Nintendo is out of touch with its fanbase.” “Nintendo has lost me.” “They care too much about the casual gamer.” “They have no 3rd party support.” The list goes on and on. But this morning, Nintendo proved that it knows exactly what it is doing, and despite recent failures, has built a system that is a perfect fit for the 21st century audience.